Lamp for motor and like vehicles



Dec. 9, 1930. M. SWENSON, JR

LAMP FOR MOTOR AND THE LIKE VEHICLES Filed Dec. 1'7, 1928 Patented Dec.9, 1930 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE LAMP FOR MOTOR AND LIKE VEHICLESApplication filed December 17, 1928.

This invention relates to the lamps of motor and the like vehicles.

At the present time drivers of motor and the like vehicles have tocontend with the dazzling glare of headlights of an approaching car, andeven if said headlights are dimmed or extinguished, this action oftencauses an inability to see the vehicle which one has to pass.

It is the object of this invention to provide apparatus to overcome thedanger and ditficulties attendant upon motor vehicles pass ing eachother at night.

A further object of the invention is to provide means whereby after theheadlights of the motor vehicle to which this invention is attached havebeen dimmed or extinguished, an auxiliary light is caused to functionand direct its beams over the front of the hood and also far enoughforward to allow the light to be spread down on the top of the bonnet ofthe motor vehicle, and at the same time also to show a downward beam oflight on the road well in front of the said vehicle.

\Yith these objects in viewthe invention consists of a hollow casingmember of any desired size, formed with a front, a top, two sides and arear portion. The member may be made of any light metal or ofearthenware or glass, and when made from metal the member may be blockedand shaped from the sheet so that a concave surface is produced.

The said member is characterized by having one of its sides cut away andtherefore of a shorter depth than the other side, and

the rear portion of the casing member is prolonged further than thefront portion, and the inside surface of said downward portion isbrightened or treated with a suitable solution to act as a reflector.

Means are provided in the said casing member for retaining an electricbulb having the necessary connection therefrom to the light supply ofthe motor vehicle, and there is a glass cover provided of similar shapebut smaller than the main member, which glass cover is adapted to beplaced and retained within said main member.

A metal rod attached to or forming part of the said casing member isprovided and Serial No. 326,641.

together with a clamp member forms means for adjustably attaching theinvention in a desired position on the drivers side of the motorvehicle.

A suitable two way switch is rovided and connected to thepower wiring orthe headlights and the auxiliary light in the said casing member, and onmovement being given to the said switch, power to the said headlights isdisconnected and they are extinguished, and simultaneously power istransmitted to the auxiliary light in the casing member, and when theswitch is again moved power is disconnected from the auxiliary light inthe casing member, and automatically connected to the headlights of thevehicle.

Referring to the drawings accompanying this specification,

Figure 1 is a perspective view of a motor car fitted with my inventionand illustrates the lighting effect thereof after the headlamps havebeen extinguished.

Figure 2 is a side view of the invention in position on a motor car.

lgigure 3 is an end elevation of Figure 2, an

Figure 4 is a sectional elevation of the invention.

Referring to the drawings and describing now the casing member, this ispreferably shaped as illustrated and comprises a front 1, top 2, sides 3and 3A, and a rear portion 4.

In manufacture the corners of the said member are rounded, and one ofthe sides 3A is of a shorter downward length than its opposing sidemember. The object of this construction will be hereinafter described.

As before mentioned, the rear portion 4 of the casing member is ofgreater length, than the front portion 1, and the inside face 5 of saiddownward portion 11 is brightened or treated with a suitable solution toact as a reflector.

A glass cover 6 is provided, and is of similar shape to the casingmember, but is slightly smaller than the external diameter thereof, soas to permit the said glass cover 6 to fit within the said casingmember, and be retained therein by a groove 7 formed on the inside ofthe said casing member, or retention may be obtained by spring clipmembers (not shown) fitted within the aforesaid groove 7.

7 'An electric bulb 8 is provided to give the necessary light, and isretained by the known type of fitting 9 positioned in the casing memberpreferably as illustrated in Figure 4 of the accompanying drawings, nearto the front 1 of the casing member and with the said bulb 8 in aleaning osition rearwards so that the ,rays of light rom the said lampwill strikethe reflecting surface 5 of the rear rtion 4 andbe'directeddownwardly and V orwardly of the motor vehicle.

The necessary wiring connection 10 for su plying power to the lamp isprovided an d may be led therefrom to the power source. As it is mostimportant that the invention be attached to the motor vehicle in acorrect sition, I provide attachment means there- Eire comprising ametal rod 11, this is attached to or forms part of the casing memher,and the construction is illustrated in the drawings.

It may be desired to convey the electric light wire for the lamp 8through said rod -11, in which case same would be made hollow adjustmentof the rod 11 and such clamp may be capable of allowing a tiltingmovelmeent being given to the whole casing mem- It is essential that theelectric bulb 8 should be 'of a strong candle power to give the bestlighting effect. As before stated one of the sides 3A- of the casingmember is shorter than its opposing member and as the said short sidefaces the motor vehicle light from the bulb 8 is permitted to bedirected sideways over the said vehicle rendering same clearly visibleto the driver of an oncoming car.

In conjunction with the invention I employ the usual known type of twoway switch (not shown) said switch is preferably positioned on thesteering column of the motor vehicle, and the wiring leads for the motorvehicles headlights and the auxiliary light are attached to said switchand the power supply. The lighting of either of said lamps i. e. theheadlamps or auxiliary lamp is effected by moving the switch to whatevercontact position is desired. For instance, if the auxiliary light isdesired, the switch is moved to its contact and this action disconnectsthe power to the headli hts for the time being, and when a vehicle asassed, the switch is 4 moved back to the hea 'ghts contact which arethen lit, and the auxiliary light is extin uished. a

t is believed from the aforesaid description that the advantages ofusing my invention will be apparent, as the driver of a motor vehicle towhich my invention is fitted will dim or extinguish his headli hts onseeing an approaching vehicle, an switch on' the auxiliary lightpositioned asbefore described. B this action he will throw a good lightover 1is vehicle, forwardly and rearwardl and sidewards thereof, so thathis vehicle ecomes distinctively outlined to the driver of the aproaching vehicle, as the glare of the head ights' from the firstmentioned vehicle have been extinguished obviating any danger orinability to see the said vehicle.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire tosecure by Letters Patent is p 1. A lamp of the class describedcomprising an elongated dome-shaped casing formed with a bead having adepression on the inside thereof and a de nding portion below the bead,the depen ing portion inclining from the rear toward the front of thecasing and merging into the bead, an elongated inverted dome-shaped lobeformed with a head to engage in the epression in'the head on the casing,the rear depending portion and the inclined side wall thereof onthecasing being 5 aced from the curved rear and side walls 0 theinverted lobe to form reflecting surfaces, and a lamp Eulb supportedbetween the casing and lobe.

2. A lamp 0 the class described comprising a top bowl-shape dome sectionformed at the rear and sides with a vertical de ndin portion, the baseof said section eing su stantially rectangular, the depending verticalside portions being cut at angle toward the rear vertical dependinportion to provide a rear reflector, a lower owl-shape globe section,the upper part of which is substantially rectangular and is fittedagainst the rectangular edge of the u per dome-shape section, the rearwall of the lhwer globe shape section being spaced from the verticallydisposed rear portion of the upper bowl shape 1 section, and a lamp bulbmounted in the space formed by the up r bowl-shape section and the lowerglobe s ape section.

In testimony whereof I afiix my signature.

MARTIN SWEN SON JNR.

